"Marc Jacobs kicked romanticism to the curb with a bold New York fashion week show dominated by hypnotizing stripes and delivered at crackerjack speed." {AFP}

"Let's switch gears: For the past five days, the chatter at New York Fashion Week has been about softening the edges, but Marc Jacobs changed the conversation--as he often does--after going graphic at his show Monday night." {The Associated Press}

"Points to Marc for not doing the same old thing over and over--he has firmly turned his back on neo-Victorian coats and Dr. Seuss hats and proffers something entirely new, even if this means a plethora of vertical lines only occasionally relieved by a leopard print." {The Cut/

"Putting the catwalk on fast-forward is a psychological trick invented by Christian Dior 65 years ago. If Dior changed the walking pace from stately to brisk in the 40s, Jacobs is now experimenting with putting it on fast-forward." {The Guardian}

"For the first time in a while, a designer has successfully pushed the sex button in a compelling way. Remember McQueen’s bumster trousers from the mid-’90s? That was a frankly raw style that eventually set in motion the near-universal trend of low-riding jeans. Mr. Jacobs has done something perverse with the straight office suit, a symbol of conservatism and get-ahead careerism." {The New York Times}

"The monochrome, amphetamine-sharp brilliance of the designer's vision cut a precise swathe through all the uncertain murk that swirls around pop culture right now." {Style.com}

"Jacobs has a uniquely suave talent for distilling all these ingredients into a heady brew that ultimately bears nothing but his own emphatic signature and looks not so much retro as, well, very Next Season." {Vogue.com}

"Jacobs stripped down everything for spring. Or should we say stripe-d down? Because what Jacobs did for the polka-dot in autumn of 2011, he’s about to do for stripes next season." {Vogue.com UK}

"If Jacobs startled a bit with his economy of message, the clothes looked beautiful and sexy." {WWD}

"Theyskens' Theory, steered by Belgian designer Olivier Theyskens, sent out a range of fluid and sophisticated looks Monday, worn by models in identical wigs, beginning and ending with scalpel-sharp tuxedo suits. 'In this collection, I wanted something more projected, a bit more distant, and not fixed so much in our little reality,' Theyskens told AFP backstage." {AFP}

"Even at their most conservative, the somber combos on the runway seem intended for a bad girl who has been up all night and has to somehow get herself to the office the next day." {The Cut/

"The panache and demi-monde of Paris, the energy and drive of New York, the latest collection of Theyskens’ Theory was the perfect balance of both in a risqué fashion moment." {Fashion Wire Daily}

"The drama we've come to expect from Olivier Theyskens's Theory line was in full effect for Spring 2013. This time around, however, it was infused with something new: a slouchy, relaxed sort of mood." {fashionologie}

"Olivier Theyskens was once known in his Paris period for a sweet, fey, wispy, couture sensibility. Now he is making affordable clothes for Theory . And perhaps some downtown customers might want a summer of dark (as in black and ink blue) coats with deep arm holes, worn with messy hair and a lot of angry attitude." {International Herald Tribune}

"Theyskens included a lot of big design ideas in this collection: super rounded shoulders on jackets, for example, or a gossamer-thin coat covered in icy sequins, or tweed jackets with dropped shoulders and bracelet sleeves--none of which really looked like something you would expect from the designer of Theory. Since he moved to New York to design for the label, beginning with a capsule for spring 2011, Mr. Theyskens has transformed his runway collection from something that was overtly commercial (there were corduroy jeans in an early collection) to something that could be called commercial-but-also-artistic." {On The Runway/The New York Times}

"Olivier Theyskens’s collection showed more vitality than last season, maybe because he gave real value to just about everything he put out on the runway, from terrific coat dresses to a crinkled blouson top to an over-scaled navy coat with a black leather mini." {The New York Times}

"If it was harder to pick out the hits on his runway for Spring, that's because Theyskens isn't playing it quite as safe anymore. ... Overall, this collection felt like a transitional one. Change is never easy, but it's a thrill to see the 35-year-old going for it." {Style.com}

"In all, this was a more mature collection, and the way Theyskens tells it, that was deliberate. 'I was entertaining elegance and grace,' he said. 'Less of the girls, you know, and more of a projection.'" {Vogue.com}

"For those wild at heart and with a little edge, then come close, Theyskens’ Theory is just what you’re looking for." {Vogue.com UK}

"This time, what in the past was a nimble fusion of Theyskens’ often strong penchant for fantastical Goth-grunge and Theory’s Theory-ness--it is a company that rose to glory by the seat of its great-fitting work pants--appeared caught in a tug of war." {WWD}

The Row
Designers: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

"Here's how far Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have come with their fashion collection The Row: Sitting at the spring preview, it becomes clear that other designers at New York Fashion Week have been mimicking the layered-yet-airy refined look that is at the heart of this label." {The Associated Press}

"From the graceful presentation of The Row, with its focus on shades of cream and coffee, its layering of paper-thin cotton tunics over sheer georgette underdresses over sheer georgette pleated trousers, and floor-length billowing organza silk satin coats over silk linen lounging trousers ... the message seemed to be 'lighten up'--literally." {Financial Times}

"There were no trends, except for long, slender lines--just a beautiful collection that had a young, fresh elegance." {International Herald Tribune}

"It was the Olsens’ long, lightly layered silhouette that put this collection on a different level. You associate them with long things, but these clothes were far more particular, whether a neat red blazer with a cord tie and long matching skirt or a blue silk-linen dress with a low back that seemed to blend English Regency with Japanese folk." {The New York Times}

"It's hard to believe that these are the same designers who built a brand on slouchy T-shirts and sexy leather leggings. This quietly accomplished collection was just about as far removed in ambition and mood from their origin story as can be." {Style.com}

"It was with ... meditative components that the Olsens proved that the clarity of simplicity can often cut through the commotion of life, even the overwhelming clamour of Fashion Week, and the hectic metropolis where it's housed." {Vogue.com UK}

"Theirs is a very specific take on minimalism, with a quiet grandeur and authority that values elegance over edge. Whether they know it or not, the Olsens are the aesthetic descendants of Zoran and Ronaldus Shamask." {WWD}

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Fashion is like high school — with more air kissing. In case you're wondering how there can already be so much reading from the first day back, we've scanned all the reviews from major critics and other friends and bloggers, and have collected all the qualifying bon mots. Which designer made Eric Wilson question if he'd hit the snooze button a few too many times? Whose collection in 50 shades of talc, coral, black, white, and cream had harnesses as a dominant theme? Click through to see what controlled acts of ingenuity it takes to go to the head of the style class.

Facing fashion fatigue? Us too. However! The Mulleavys' medieval warrior princesses in bad-ass laser-cut heels march on. Tuesday critics lanced a few barbs (shades of Balenciaga, anyone?), but were surprisingly receptive to a broad array of world traveler-inspired styles fit for women on the go. Perhaps the biggest surprise was at Narciso Rodriguez, where the designer stepped out of his greige-y comfort zone and was loaded for a career-high performance. Find out which other shows had everyone buzzing on day 6.

Is the fash pack getting more decisive or just more sleep deprived? Tough call. On the penultimate day of shows, consensus was Marchesa's Bollywood-inspired beaded and brocaded flights of fashion fancy when beyond the point of OTT, and by comparison Michael Kors's rugby striped prototypes felt a little, well, catalog. Meanwhile, way downtown at the Beekman Palace, with their grommeted perforated leather and digital reptilian printed spliced creations, the Proenza boys nailed the sweet spot between art and commerce.
These are the most buzzed about collections on day 7 of NYFW.

There was a lot to like, and even more to love, on the fifth day of fashion week. Critics found it hard to pick one favorite--or even three--on a day that saw Carolina Herrera commission a capriccio, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen take on a maison particulier in the Upper East Side, Olivier Theyskens delve into retro-futurism, Phillip Lim perfect his cool-girl aesthetic and Thom Browne stage a full-on performance piece.